Thomas Jefferson had been interested in exploring the west well before the 1803 Louisiana Purchase from France.The exploration would provide a wealth of information on everything from flora and fauna to geography to the inhabitants.
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What was the purpose of the exploration of the Louisiana Territory?
At Jefferson’s urging the American Philosophical Society sponsored an expedition in 1793 by the young French naturalist, André Michaux, to find “the shortest & most convenient route of communication between the U.S. & the Pacific ocean,” with the Missouri River “declared as the fundamental object.”
What did Jefferson believe about the Louisiana Territory?
Jefferson adhered to a strict interpretation of the Constitution and believed that without a specific enumeration of his right as president to acquire the purchase, buying the Louisiana Territory could plausibly be unconstitutional.
Why was Thomas Jefferson eager for Lewis and Clark to explore the West?
Why was Thomas Jefferson eager for Lewis and Clark to explore the West? He wanted to move his settlers there before anyone else did. He wanted people to be farmers and this land was perfect for that.
Why was Jefferson western minded?
Thomas Jefferson acquired an interest in western exploration early in life.More than most of his contemporaries, Jefferson realized that the American West was not an empty wilderness, but a land crowded by conflicting nations and claims of sovereignty.
Why did Thomas Jefferson not want to buy the Louisiana Territory?
Thomas Jefferson had always feared the costs of loose construction of the powers delegated to the national government in the Constitution, and the Constitution was silent about acquiring lands from other countries.
What kind of government did Jefferson recommend for the Louisiana Territory and why?
Jefferson spoke against a strong federal government and instead advocated states’ rights. He feared tyranny of any kind and only recognized the need for a strong, central government in terms of foreign affairs.
Why did Napoleon want to sell Louisiana to the United States?
Napoleon Bonaparte sold the land because he needed money for the Great French War. The British had re-entered the war and France was losing the Haitian Revolution and could not defend Louisiana.
For what purposes did Thomas Jefferson send Lewis and Clark to explore the Louisiana Territory What did he want them to accomplish?
Jefferson wanted Lewis and Clark to find an all-water route to the Pacific Ocean, strengthen U.S. claims to the Pacific Northwest by reaching it through an overland route, explore and map the territory, make note of its natural resources and wildlife, and make contact with Indian tribes with the intention of
What seems to be Jefferson’s main concern in exploring the new territory Why would this be a concern?
Louisiana Purchase:What was Jefferson’s main concern of exploring new territory? To find new water routes. Best water communication across continent.
What did Thomas Jefferson want Lewis and Clark to find?
Lewis so respected Clark that he made him a co-commanding captain of the Expedition, even though Clark was never recognized as such by the government. Jefferson hoped that Lewis and Clark would find a water route linking the Columbia and Missouri rivers.
Why did Thomas Jefferson want New Orleans?
Jefferson feared that the French wanted to establish an America empire that would restrict access from the northwest to the rest of the United States. At first Jefferson only wanted to purchase the city of New Orleans to ensure American access to the Mississippi River and trade routes to the eastern America.
What did Thomas Jefferson want for America?
The principal author of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson was a proponent of democracy, republicanism, and individual rights, motivating American colonists to break from the Kingdom of Great Britain and form a new nation; he produced formative documents and decisions at both the state and national levels.
What was Thomas Jefferson known for?
Thomas Jefferson, a spokesman for democracy, was an American Founding Father, the principal author of the Declaration of Independence (1776), and the third President of the United States (1801–1809).As the “silent member” of the Congress, Jefferson, at 33, drafted the Declaration of Independence.
Was Jefferson right to purchase the Louisiana Territory?
a given power, it was not allowed. Jefferson had aggressively argued this position since the adoption of the Constitution, and criticized others for breaching this constructionist principle. In 1802, Jefferson had sent Robert Livingston and James Monroe to negotiate a treaty to purchase New Orleans and West Florida.
Why did Jefferson organize the Lewis and Clark expedition of the Louisiana Purchase territory?
In 1803, Thomas Jefferson appointed Meriwether Lewis to organize an expedition into the Louisiana Territory to explore and map the area but also to find an all-water route from the Missouri River to the Pacific Coast.
Why did Napoleon want to take Louisiana back from the Spanish?
Napoleon acquired the Louisiana Territory from the Spanish Empire because he hoped to revive New France–the French colonies in the Western hemisphere. Some historians speculate that Napoleon also acquired Louisiana to prevent the United States from growing any larger.
How did Thomas Jefferson get the Louisiana Purchase?
On October 20, 1803, the Senate ratified a treaty with France, promoted by President Thomas Jefferson, that doubled the size of the United States.The land involved in the 830,000 square mile treaty would eventually encompass 15 states.
What was the main goal that Thomas Jefferson had for Lewis and Clark’s expedition quizlet?
President Thomas Jefferson commissioned the expedition shortly after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 to explore and to map the newly acquired territory, to find a practical route across the western half of the continent, and to establish an American presence in this territory before Britain and other European powers
What were Jefferson’s concerns about New Orleans?
The President was concerned that French control of New Orleans, in contrast to Spanish control, might pose a threat to western Americans seeking to send trade through the port. To assure that it would remain open, Jefferson decided to try to buy it from the French.
What were the 3 objectives of Thomas Jefferson in planning the Lewis and Clark expedition?
Jefferson sought to claim more territory for the United States, eliminate foreign competition and convert the Indian nations to Christianity, viewing westward expansion as a way for the nation to maintain its agrarian values and to ward off the same political perils that plagued what he saw as an increasingly
